Sunday, September 21, 2025

Hebrews 12:15
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.

We reflected on this verse last week as we considered how gossip is like fertilizer, accelerating the growth of bitterness within us. But how often do we really consider the effects of bitterness in our lives and relationships? 

The writer of Hebrews describes bitterness as a poison. We think we can just hide it away, but the truth is that if we allow it to grow, it ruins us and everyone around us. It consumes us like a toxin. 

So, what do we do when we are bitter toward someone who hurt us? What is the antidote? 

This week, we’ll examine how forgiveness heals hurt and cures bitterness. The truth is - we can’t forgive on our own. We must first know and understand the depth of God’s forgiveness and what it cost. Because forgiveness is costly. It’s free for the receiver, but the forgiver absorbs the cost of the hurt and surrenders the need for retaliation. Nowhere do we see that more clearly than in God’s grace toward us. His forgiveness is free for us, but Jesus paid the price.

Forgiveness is hard, especially when we’re hurting, but we can rejoice in the fact that God so freely forgives us. Let’s join together to ask him to soften our hearts and unclench our grip on bitterness so that we can forgive like he does.

Discussion Questions:
Ice Breaker: List some qualities you think characterize a forgiving person. Which ones do you embody well? Which ones are more of a challenge?

If we as a church practiced forgiveness more openly, what would change about how our community thinks about Christians?

Read Matthew 18:21-25: Peter asks Jesus a question: how often should we forgive someone? What does Peter’s guess reveal about his expectations for forgiveness, and how does Jesus’ answer upend those expectations? 

How do you react to the fact that Jesus always expects us to forgive?

Reflect and Respond: Consider the ways that bitterness and unforgiveness show up in your life. Write down a prayer naming those things to God and asking him to help you surrender them to him.

Prayer:
Lord, I praise you for the fact that your forgiveness is limitless. I admit that I often attach conditions and limitations to my own forgiveness. Please make forgiveness a pattern in my life with no strings attached. Help me to let go of bitterness in my heart so that I can receive your guidance to forgive this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Series Theme Verse:
Romans 12:17-18
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

This post was written by Ashley Allen, a Content Development intern at CedarCreek and Findlay attendee.